Canada-U.S. border to remain closed until June 21

The Canada-U.S. border will remain closed for all non-essential travel until June 21, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said Tuesday.

The previous bi-national agreement on closing the border, which exempted commercial truck drivers, was to expire on May 21.

“This is an important decision that will keep people in both of our countries safe,” Trudeau said during his daily media availability at Rideau Cottage in Ottawa.

It was a widely expected announcement despite the growing number of Canadian provinces and U.S. states that have in recent days eased restrictions put in place to stem the spread of COVID-19. Case numbers continue to grow on both sides of the border, with the U.S. grappling with some 1.5 million confirmed infections, compared to some 78,000 in Canada, as of Tuesday morning.

Trudeau also announced an expansion to the eligibility criteria for the Canada Emergency Business Account (CEBA) that would capture more owner-operated small businesses. Specifically, sole proprietors receiving income directly from their businesses, businesses that rely on contractors and family-owned corporations that pay employees through dividends rather than payroll can now access CEBA’s zero-interest, partially forgivable loans of up to $40,000.

To qualify under the expanded eligibility criteria, applicants with payroll lower than $20,000 would need:

a business operating account at a participating financial institution

a Canada Revenue Agency business number, and to have filed a 2018 or 2019 tax return.

eligible non-deferrable expenses between $40,000 and $1.5 million. Eligible non-deferrable expenses could include costs such as rent, property taxes, utilities, and insurance.

“Canadians are counting on us to protect their jobs and help them pay their bills during this difficult time. By expanding the CEBA, we will be giving more businesses access to the support they need, so they can help protect workers and the jobs they rely on,” Trudeau said.